Fates Warning is hoping that absence has made fans' hearts grow fonder.

In September the Connecticut progressive heavy metal band released "Darkness in a Different Light," its first new album in nine years. The quintet didn't plan to take that long, and frontman Ray Adler says extenuating creative circumstances were to blame.

"Y'know, we have side projects that we do and different things that we do and everything kinda gets away from us sometimes," Adler, 46, explains. "But, yeah, it was really ridiculous it took so long.

"A lot of people think we broke up at one point. We never broke up. We've been touring Europe these last few years. It just took time for us all to say, 'Let's stop everything else and get together and write this album' — especially Jim (Matheos) and myself, who are the main songwriters."

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Adler says "Darkness in a Different Light" represents "nearly two years of very hard work" for Fate's Warning. And he acknowledges that there was a drive to make up for last time and reward fans for their patience.

"Obviously we're a progressive rock band and we wanted to do a progressive style of music," Adler notes, "but I wanted to do more catchier-style songs and hark back to the old days and the albums we did a long time ago, with nice, catchy songs and hooks and choruses and things like that but still a little heavier.

"I think we pulled that off. There's no, like, power ballads or anything on there. It's just catchier songs wtih nice little hooks. That's what we want for, and I can really say I love every song on the album this time."

Fates Warning, New World Order and others perform Saturday, Nov. 16, at Harpo's, 14238 Harper, Detroit. Doors open at 5 p.m. Tickets are $18. Call 313-824-1700 or visit www.harposconcerttheatre.com.